Soulja Boy Tell'em has gone on record with his goal to be taken more seriously as a lyricist.
Kanye West and 50 Cent are two peers of the young rapper who have co-signed his talent, which he first showed off in 2007 with the playful "Crank That (Soulja Boy)."
On his new album, The DeAndre Way, however, SB is yearning to be seen as more than just an artist who has an affinity for making the teen set dance.
"Grammy," featuring Ester Dean, is a slow-turning contemplation of his career and his desire to win one of the music industry's most-coveted awards.
"That was really to strike that emotion, to tell that story," Soulja Boy told MTV News during an appearance on "RapFix Live" on Thursday.
"This album, I want people to take from it that Soulja Boy has grown, he's developed, he's matured, and he's going places."
In the past year, SB has stepped up to the plate to rhyme alongside a higher caliber of rapper than ever before, from Drake to 50 Cent.
The G-Unit superstar has long been an admirer of his labelmate, which SB talked about with MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway.
"To have 50 have my back, that's definitely exciting; it's an achievement. 50 don't mess with no rappers," Soulja explained. "When I came out, there [was] a lot of people that was hating on me [and] felt like I wasn't real to the game — don't hate the player, hate the game. 50 shed light on me, and he came to my defense."
Are you a fan of The DeAndre Way? Give us your review in the comments!
This report is from MTV News.
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